Good morning, Bears fans!
So how did you celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Bears putting in a bid to purchase Arlington Park? (Yes, that was June 17, 2021.)
Possible answers include playing a round at Lost Marsh Golf Course and wondering what Ted Phillips is up to these days.
01 Roster News
Bears sign two UFL standouts
Great news for WR Kaden Davis (Houston Gamblers) and LB Tony Fields II (Columbus Aviators). Bad news for LB Dominique Hampton and K Gabriel Plascencia, who were both cut from the 90-man to make room.
02 Stadium News
Pritzker wants Bears to say what they want
While legislators across the state are coming up with their own bills, the governor says it’s all for naught unless the Bears share what they’d like to see in legislation. If that happens, Pritzker remains open to calling a special session this summer.
03 NFL News
Cam Jordan re-signs with Saints
The odds were low, but there’s officially no chance Jordan will be spending his last season on the Bears’ defensive line.
8️⃣7️⃣ Days Until The Season Opener
🎂Bears Birthdays: Anthony “Spice” Adams (46), Jay Leeuwenburg (57)
Need a last-minute Father’s Day gift? BreakingT has a complete collection of officially-licensed Bears players shirts, including Caleb, Colston and Rome. Use code DAD20 to save. Shop now!
Poles > Pace
Bears Nation got an old friend alert earlier this week.
Ryan Pace is headed to the Vikings as a special adviser after four years of turning the Atlanta Falcons roster into Halas Hall South.
That news shouldn’t frighten any Bears, but it reminds me I remain petrified of slipping up and typing “Ryan Pace” when I actually mean “Ryan Poles.”
The two actually share a few similarities beyond initials:
Both GMs had awkward first coaching marriages with defensive coaches — Fox and Flus! — that may or may not have been the result of the team’s consulting committee.
Pace was 14-34 during his first three seasons with three last-place finishes. Poles went 15-36 in his first three seasons with three last-place finishes.
Both were in a spot to pick the top quarterback in a draft and both selected the top offensive candidate when it came time to hire a second coach.
Midway through that last point is where the similarities end. Pace ended up with Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky. Poles got Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams.
No matter how it happened, that will always put Poles ahead of Pace on the list of Bears GMs.
I wonder if Pace spends his quiet moments thinking about getting the wrong end of this timeline in Chicago … then I remember a second timeline wouldn’t have been necessary had he just done his homework and selected Patrick Mahomes.
Pace’s tenure was filled with misfires and a casual disregard for the value of draft picks. As one Redditor pointed out, he spent 25 picks to get these 12 players in the draft: Leonard Floyd, Nick Kwiatkowski, Mitch Trubisky, Eddie Jackson, Anthony Miller, David Montgomery, Duke Shelley, Darnell Mooney, Lachavious Simmons, Justin Fields, Teven Jenkins, and Larry Borom.
A contract extension through 2029 ensures that Poles will receive at least one more season that Pace had leading the Bears’ front office.
But while Poles may already be ahead of his predecessor, there’s still plenty of work to be done. He doesn’t have an Eddie Jackson or Darnell Mooney in his late-round portfolio. He hasn’t signed a free agent like Akiem Hicks or Allen Robinson.
Having Johnson both inform the process and employ the talent should improve Poles’ standing further, provided there aren’t any unseen power struggles in the future.
He also has the one thing that Pace could never nail down: A quarterback.
It’s a fact he’ll be reminded of in person twice a year now that he’s a Viking.
“Ninth is about right. But going forward, I would take him over every coach in the league. Not that I’m biased or anything.”
One ESPN Insider thinks the Bears were among the least improved teams over the offseason. (Bears Wire)
Mike Singletary says Caleb is “not far behind” Patrick Mahomes. (SI)
Eli Ong believes it’s time for the McCaskey family to swallow its pride and keep the Bears in Illinois. (WGN News)
A Wisconsin politician is questioning an antitrust exemption that has continued to let the Packers thrive in Green Bay and the team is not happy. (Pro Football Talk)
Caleb, when asked by @brgridiron to describe the Packers in one word.
5 Seconds a Day. Your Natural Color, Back.
Hair dye fixes gray. It also gives you a bad smell, a hairline that looks painted, and roots that remain gray. Particle Anti-Gray Serum targets the root cause — restoring natural pigment gradually, hair and beard, no dye, no mess. Five seconds a day. Thirty-day guarantee. 20% off with code BH20.
